The Noble Icons of the Past #3: Shah Waliullah r

Written by a 6th year student at Darul Qur’an Wassunnah

Synopsis

Four years before the demise of the pious and noble king, Aurangzeb r, a great intellectual
reformer was born. His name was Ahmad ibn Abd al Raheem – famously known as Shah
Waliullah Muhaddith al Dihlawi r.

The demise of the pious king, Aurangzeb, was the turning point of the great Moghul Muslim
empire. The throne of the great kingdom built by King Aurangzeb’s diligence, vigor, and
constant remembrance of the Master of the Worlds, came to be occupied by weak and worthless
men. Within a brief period of half a century, eleven negligent and cowardly kings took the throne
and brought the once majestic Muslim empire in India to its knees.

This was the condition in which the revivalist of the Islamic sciences, Shah Waliullah r, came
into this world. A shining star amidst the dense fog of ignorance, he successfully managed to
reinvigorate the demoralized Muslim community. His reformative endeavor was to the extent
that Shaikh Abu al Hasan Ali al Nadawi r describes his efforts to be unparalleled among his
contemporaries and even among the pious predecessors.

Early Life and Education

Shah Waliullah r was born in Shawwal 4, 1114 Hijri (c. to 1703 Gregorian) in Phulat, Uttar
Pradesh, India. His roots trace back to the Second Khalifah of Islam, Sayyiduna Umar ibn al
Khattab radiyallahu anh. Shah Waliullah was enrolled in primary school at the age of five. Soon
he began memorizing the Quran, and finished it entirely by the age of seven.

Shah Walilullah’s father, Shah Abd al Raheem, was a learned figure of his time. Polite in
disposition, spotless in character, and simple in his bearings, his father was an exemplar father.
Having inherited his family traditions of courage and valor, tracing back all the way to
Sayyiduna Umar rdy, as well as the zeal for religion, Shah Abd al Raheem passed on these
invaluable qualities to Shah Waliullah.

When Shah Waliullah reached 17 years of age, his father passed away. By this time, he had
studied classical books of Islamic sciences, including, Tafseer al Baidawi, Sahih al Bukhari,
Shamail Tirmizhi, Mishkat, Hidayah, Sharh al Aqaid, Kafiyah, and Sharh Jami, among many
others. Many of these books were studied under his father.

His Reformative Endeavor

Intending to do Hajj, Shah Waliullah set out towards the Arabian Peninsula at the age of 30 in
the year 1143 Hijri. His stay in Hijaz lasted around a year, and was a landmark of crucial
importance in his subsequent intellectual and reformative endeavor.
Shah Waliullah played a leading revivalist role during the era of confusion which followed the
decay of the Moghul empire. His accomplishments are difficult to enumerate due to his literary
expertise, his vaulting ambition, and his drive in propagating the true message, which led him to
direct his reformatory efforts to such varied fields of life. His greatest achievement, however, is
undeniably his tireless efforts in the revival of the noble science of Hadith. It was such a great
achievement that it overshadowed all his other literary and intellectual works. It was the reason
he became known as, “Muhaddith al Dihlawi” and “Musnid al Hind”.

Around a century earlier, the knowledge of Hadith was spread by the diligence and effort of
Shaikh Abd al Haqq Muhaddith al Dihlawi r. His students, despite being numerous, were unable
to devote adequate time and attention to the study of Hadith, and could not complete the great
task of their esteemed teacher. Thus, the Indian sub-continent was in need of a Mujaddid
(reformer). This turned out to be Shah Walilullah r, who revived the disappearing knowledge of
Hadith in the sub-continent and awakened the Muslim masses from their slumbers of ignorance.

Demise

At last, the day came when this great luminary departed this world and met with the Master of
the Worlds. On Muharram 29, 1176 Hijri (c. to 1763 Gregorian), Shah Waliullah Muhaddith al
Dihlawi r passed away at the age of 62. He was buried alongside his father in a graveyard at the
outskirts of Delhi, which is known today as ‘the Graveyard of Muhaddithun.’

Legacy

Even after the demise of the Mujaddid, Shah Waliullah r, his commitment to the Ahadith of
Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam and his tireless efforts in its revival, have continued to
prove fruitful in their results. Words cannot express the colossal impact he left on the Muslim
world – an impact that made him the connecting link in almost all chains of Hadith knowledge in
the sub-continent.